4TH WALL

[snapandscoot]

[[It's been an exciting day for one Emmy Altava here in Goldenrod!

Not only did she wake up to find her scooter parked neatly outside her apartment building, but it's full of fuel and working perfectly! So of course, the first thing she does (after breakfast, obviously!) is leap on top of it and start riding it around town in a manner that....might not be considered following the road rules. But she has a license! It's a license from back home but it's....still a license, right?

Oh well!

After a while, she started to feel bad that her Pokemon were being left out. It wasn't fair that they should have to sit in their Pokeballs while she had fun all over the city!

But then Emmy had a brainwave.

So if you happen to be in the streets of Goldenrod, you might see....well.

A Machamp riding a scooter.

A Machamp riding a scooter wearing a pink helmet with an excited girl on her shoulders.

A Machamp riding a scooter wearing a pink helmet with an excited girl on her shoulders TAKING ALL THE PICTURES]]

This was a fantastic idea, Machi! Go a little faster, I want to take more shots!

[[Completely oblivious to the fact that she could fall and crack her skull open, Emmy is having a marvelous time, while Machi is kind of holding on to her trainer and the scooter for dear life. Having four arms is great, sometimes.

Just wave the Emmymobile down if you want to speak to her; just expect a picture or two!]]

Comments

[destructivesymphony]

[Since his arrival in this place earlier that day, Kimblee has been suspecting that there is absolutely nothing right with Johto. At all.

...seeing the girl on the abomination on the scooter, he's no longer suspecting, he knows.

Is...there a response to this that isn't blatantly staring and trying to collect whatever remains of the shattered fragments of his brain right now, because he doesn't think there is.]

1/2

[snapandscoot]

[[VROOOOOM ROUND THE CORNER AND MR KIMBLEE HELLO-]]

Stop for a minute, Machi! You remember where the brake is, right?

[[....HOPEFULLY SHE DOES UM

HOW DOES SHE RIDE SCOOTER-oh wait there it is ok jerking to a stop!!!]]

2/2

[snapandscoot]

[[....approximately a foot away from said Mr Kimblee, there.

Emmy leans down, then, lifting up the googles of her helmet and smiling at him!]]

Good morning Mr Kimblee!

[[....I say, you're looking...]]

I like your uniform! It's very smart, I must say!

[destructivesymphony]

[...well. That's certainly not all right in any sense of the term; he steps back warily at the vehicle approaches, though he doesn't move to get out of the way fully - for some reason it simply doesn't occur to him to; he eyes the thing warily, trying to focus on either the scooter or the girl when she addresses him, and not the freak of nature somewhere between the two.

Her words are also striking him as very Not Okay, however.]

Major - Major Kimblee. [The correction leaves him quickly; that isn't the worst of it by a long shot, but it is the most easily-processed.] Might I ask how you know me? I don't believe we've met.

[snapandscoot]

....hm?

[[Well, this is rather odd. Is he playing a trick? Emmy continues to peer down at him, leaning on Machi's head.]]

Mr Kimblee, we've known each other for months. Are you trying to play a joke on me?

[[.....hm. Maybe it's something to do with the uniform.]]

Or are you reverting back to your military persona? If that's the case, I'll play along if you like!

[destructivesymphony]

[Wh...]

You don't need to use "Mr" when you address me; just "Kimblee" is fine, if you aren't wanting to use the military title.

And no, I genuinely mean that I don't know you. I would remember you if we'd met.

[snapandscoot]

[[....nope, still haven't solved the puzzle. Al...right then....]]

Mr Kimblee, are you alright? This isn't like you...

[[Oh! Wait a minute, she's had a brainwave!]]

Maybe he's been hit by a Pokemon attack, Machi! There's one called 'Amnesia', isn't there?

I can help you, then!

[[And reaching into her camera case, Emmy pulls out a photo.]]

See for yourself!

[[The photo features two people from the waist up; one is Emmy, smiling happily and waving to the camera, her arm around the waist of the other one, who has his gloved hand on her shoulder and the other in his pocket. He's smiling at the camera as well, although nowhere near as brightly as his companion. Despite that, he does seem happy. Relaxed. All in all, it's a rather nice photo, with a beautiful lake in the background.]]

Remember our trip to the Lake of Rage the other week? This is one of the photos I took; I think it's my favourite!

[destructivesymphony]

[Kimblee studies the photo for a moment, trying to process exactly what it is that he's seeing in the photograph; the man in the photograph is managing to look both incredibly familiar and completely foreign at the same time. His features are disturbingly similar to Kimblee's own, but he seems older, probably pushing forty, if Kimblee had to hazard a guess; there's something in his face that just seems more mature, more sharply defined, and there's a darkness just visible near his eyes that Kimblee has seen plenty of times on the battlefield - a sure mark that the person in question has undergone severe physical stress. Kimblee has similar marks himself; his time on the battlefield is taking its toll on him, though his own aren't nearly as visible as those on the man in the picture - he wouldn't be surprised if this one had recently sustained some sort of large injury.

It isn't the same person; it simply can't be, for far too many reasons. He can't deny, however, that this person looks perhaps too similar to himself; despite the smile, he can't help but feel that there's something...off about the man's expression - it's a sort of strangeness that Kimblee is all too familiar with.

It unsettles him; after a moment, he shakes his head.]

Look at it again. That isn't me in the photograph.

[snapandscoot]

.....what?

[[Emmy leans back up to examine the photo herself, peering at it closely, before back to the....Major, then back to the photo. The one standing in front of her...well, he does look.....younger, somewhat....the Kimblee in the photo does have a more mature vibe to him, but that could just be because of the suit...

Scratching her head, Emmy wrinkles her nose as she thinks, tapping her foot against Machi's chest. Her scooter just appeared out of nowhere, almost like it had suddenly been brought in from her world. Could that mean, maybe, that...this Kimblee was....brought in to Johto?

....but from a different time....]]

I...I think you might be right.

[[Well, if anything, this definitely isn't the Kimblee she knows. That's for sure!]]

Forgive me, Mr-Major, I....you two look very alike.

[[...this is....certainly a day she's not going to forget for a while.]]

[enjoymyatelier]

[wow that

that sure is a thing that's happening

excuse lord archibald and his, uh, pokemon here]

...Miss Altava?

[snapandscoot]

[[Emmy continues to snap along happily when she notices that....ball of....]]

Machi, stop!!

[[And Machi does!! Just!!]]

...why, it's Lord Archibald! Hello! I didn't know you were in Goldenrod City!

[[Let her just vault athletically off her Machamp and land in front of you, okay!]]

Is that a new Pokemon you've caught?

[enjoymyatelier]

Neither did I before I woke up this morning, but there you have it. What on earth were you doing?

[...wow he didn't even have to jedi mind trick her

THIS PLACE IS GREAT]

And yes, it is. It's rather unusual, don't you think?

[snapandscoot]

Ah, Machi and I were taking photos! I'm a bit of an amateur photographer, you see!

[[....oh god you're a Lord aren't you

she should be acting ladylike or something

hnghhhhhhh]]

Although I suppose my methods are a little unorthodox....

[[YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S....TALK ABOUT YOUR NEW POKEMON.]]

It...looks like it's made of molten silver! That's incredible! Where did you get it?

[enjoymyatelier]

Quite.

[yeah enough about you emmy let's talk about me]

I obtained it in a trade with a foreign gentleman. Really, I'm quite surprised he parted with it.

[snapandscoot]

[[o-okay lord archibald ;w;]]

You were certainly very lucky. I've never seen one like it before! What's it called?

[enjoymyatelier]

It's called Volumen Hydragyurm, apparently. A Steel/Poison type, if I recall correctly.

[he feels so clever]

[snapandscoot]

[[KAYNETH YOU ARE SO SMRT.....]]

I say, that sounds like quite a potent combination! What level is it at so far?

[vengefulyears]

[Clive's just sitting on the shoulder of a Regigigas, peacefully enjoying the view of Goldenrod from up here as the colossal Pokémon walks around... very slowly... when he catches sight of a very familiar brunette riding on her Machamp who is riding on a scooter...

...wait what

he... isn't really sure what to say about this...]

[snapandscoot]

[[WHAT ON EARTH IS THAT

....

brb, photo

And that's when she spots...]]

....Luke?

[[Well, hello there! Let her wave to you!]]

What are you doing all the way up there?

[vengefulyears]

[And Clive tips his hat to her in greeting!]

Just enjoying the view. What are you doing riding your scooter in such a barbaric and highly unsafe manner?

[snapandscoot]

Just enjoying the view, thanks very much!

[[Snap! Have another photo.]]

Besides, it's hardly unsafe! Machi knows where the brake is, and we're both wearing helmets!

[vengefulyears]

That alone doesn't make it completely safe, you know. Do be careful; the last thing I want is for you to get hurt.

[snapandscoot]

I'm not the one sitting on the shoulder of that....thing, Luke. I don't see a helmet on you~!

[vengefulyears]

Oh, no need to worry about me. There's plenty of room up here, and this big old lug is hardly capable of going any faster than a couple kilometers per hour.

[There's no wind, either, so there's no way Clive can possibly fall off!!]

I think I might actually take a little nap up here... This heat is really starting to wear me down.

[snapandscoot]

Luke, don't you dare! What if you rolled over in your sleep and fell off!?

Don't make me come up there!

[[because she will!!!]]